Peter’s been jonesing for a break from his consulting gig, which was recently extended for another 6 months; Kelly had a school break at the beginning of November; and Neil’s Legoland comp tickets were about to expire. So, we booked several nights at an inexpensive motel in Anaheim and planned on seeing 3 amusement parks…
Author: cjbickford
The Theft and Brief Return of Peter’s PT Cruiser
The day after labor day, Peter and I awoke to a rude surprise. Peter stepped outside to go off to his consulting job at 5 am (both of have learned to start early and work long on consulting gigs), only to find out his car had been stolen–right out of our own driveway. To say…
My War with Fiend Squirrel
I have been at war with fiend squirrel for almost two years now. Each year, I plant a summer garden, eagerly looking forward to the fresh tomatoes and pumpkins I’ll have come late summer. And every year, as I go out to pick the tomatoes, I find little bite marks, left by my nemesis. Last…
Voting Early
I decided to vote early this year. I wanted to get it over with, as politicians, pundits, and sadly, even friends, are getting shriller and openly adamant about this mid-term election. This way, when I’m pushed, I can just say I already voted, and there’s no “October surprise” that’s going to effect what I did…
The Martin Gardner Celebration of Mind and the Stalking of Don Knuth
My mathematics- and puzzle-loving son Neil was looking forward to the Martin Gardner Celebration of Mind, a posthumous Gathering-for-Gardner-like event held worldwide for what would have been Gardner’s 96th birthday. Our local event was at Stanford, and as seems to be a personal pattern of mine, the first thing I did was find a party…
The Month of Oral Surgery
This summer, we found out that one of the canine teeth in Neil’s lower jaw was stuck in a horizontal position, beneath the baby teeth it was meant to push out and replace. We hired an orthodontist, who sent us to a local oral surgeon who told us he’d be able to expose and bond…
San Jose’s Fiscal Responsibility
Earlier this month, I got the bad news that our city library hours are being cut again, with Mondays dark, and Fridays only open for half a day. But as I hear the news of shortfalls at all levels of government, not just city, but county, state, and federal, as well, due to a weak…
Peer Pressure Charity
One of the things I absolutely do not miss about public school is the peer pressure–and I’m not talking about the pressure among students, but rather that which other parents put on the others. I’m still surprised with what I let myself get pressured into, one of which was buying Christmas presents for a family…
Costco Deals, Costco Rip-Offs, and Middle Class Snobbery
Recently, Peter and I got a Costco membership despite my assertion that Costco is a rip-off. As it turns out, the truth is nuanced–you can save some money by joining their club, but you have to know the value of things, since not everything is cheaper, and some is even more expensive. And the deals…
The Taxing Equilibrium
Like most citizens, I don’t like paying taxes, and as a sole proprietor, I’m acutely aware of what I pay in income tax, because I have to pay it directly in big chunks (rather than having it taken out of my paycheck bit by bit.) But a weekend helping out a friend in the rugged…